PARIS, Aug 04 (AFP): The records keep piling up for American swimmer Katie Ledecky and the bad news for her challengers is that she has no plans to relinquish her throne.
If there were any doubts that Ledecky was still queen of the pool in her fourth Olympic Games she swept them aside with her two gold medals at La Defense Arena.
The 27-year-old's win in the 1500m freestyle felt a formality -- she finished more than 10 seconds clear of silver medallist Anastasiia Kirpichnikova.
But having lost to Australian Ariarne Titmus in the 400m free in both Tokyo and Paris, her dominance in the 800m event felt slightly more in doubt.
However, for all Titmus's determination over the 16 laps, Ledecky won by just over a second for her fourth straight gold in the event.
Ledecky has nine gold medals during her Olympic career -- no woman has more in any sport - only Soviet-era gymnast Larisa Latynina has as many.
"I think she's rewritten distance freestyle and just swimming in general," said her teammate and 800m free bronze medallist Paige Madden.
Ledecky has 14 Olympic medals in total and 21 world championship golds, but while most swimmers are ready to leave behind the daily grind of training and preparation at her age, she shows no such inclination.
Asked after her race whether she would go for a fifth straight gold in 800m at the LA Games, Ledecky said: "I'd love to."
In the build-up to the event, she had stated that her aim was to continue for another four-year Olympic cycle.
"I've been consistent over these last few months, and last few years, in saying that I would love to compete in LA and that hasn't changed," she said. "I just take it year by year at this point."
What persuades most swimmers to finally call it a day is the gruelling daily routine -- the early morning sessions, the relentless work away from the adrenalin rush of major competition.
But this is where Ledecky is different from most.
